Back to zits

[jitterbugdoll]

I was on Accutane for a year. My acne came back after I got off of it.
I think that when you use a drying product (except as a small spot treatment), your skin just makes more oil.
I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Diet is important. I avoid wheat and oats (that is, gluten) for the most part and take vitamins for my skin

The same thing happened with my sister--Accutane helped somewhat, but after she stopped taking it, her acne came right back.

And I agree completely with you in regards to drying products and diet--both factor in a great deal.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I was on Accutane for a year. My acne came back after I got off of it.

I think that when you use a drying product (except as a small spot treatment), your skin just makes more oil.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Diet is important. I avoid wheat and oats (that is, gluten) for the most part and take vitamins for my skin.

Paisley and JDB - regarding Accutane, I've heard that you shouldn't go on it until you're in your mid-20s or your acne will come back. Thoughts? I know three people who have been on it and now have flawless skin.

 

[Paisley]

I've never heard that. I took it in my early 20s. At that time, though, I didn't know much about taking care of my skin.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I've never heard that. I took it in my early 20s. At that time, though, I didn't know much about taking care of my skin.

I don't know if it's true either, but my friend's dermatologist apparently said that to her.

 

[~landgirl~]

Because mineral oil is not a comedogenic ingredient, despite what many high end cosmetic companies would like you to believe Cold cream was originally created to heal skin irritations

I find that incredible to believe. How can they get away with frightening so many of us - I have battled with such awful skin just recently and I can not believe that the very thing that the internet recommend I don't use, even to the acne.org site, is the very thing which has calmed me down! I feel like a complete numpty for believing it all!

 

[Paisley]

Doctors make their money by having you come back again and again and by prescribing medications that require follow-up visits. They don't make much money by telling you to stop eating wheat and use Pond's cold cream.

In ancient China, on the other hand, doctors didn't have to be paid unless they actually helped the patient.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Once you start researching things, you learn a lot about marketing and the beauty industry

As for Accutane, my sister was also in her early-mid 20s.

Doctors make their money by having you come back again and again and by prescribing medications that require follow-up visits. They don't make much money by telling you to stop eating wheat and use Pond's cold cream.

Very, very true. When you ask them about diet, they always say it has no effects whatsoever. I remember going to my regular doctor and having him write me a prescription for Retin-A even though I was not there for my skin and had not asked him about it. And when I wanted to try alternative therapies for migraines, my doctor visibly scoffed at my request. She essentially told me if I wasn’t going to try a certain medication, I didn't need to come back because there was nothing else that could be done.

 

[mysterygal]

While I'm definetely not against taking medication, the unfortunate thing about many physicians is that they just mask the problems but never go to the root of it. Reading up in books is a great way, well, also the internet, to get yourself as informed as possible. For me, acne was entirely diet..once I eliminated certain things out of it, it cleared right up...the dermatologists I saw kept putting me on antibiotics and creams. Naturalpaths are definetely great to go to sometimes when the other way doesn't seem to be helping!

 

[wibblebird]

I've got to speak up again for Paula Begoun:
http://www.paulaschoice.com/learn/art.asp?ID=138

I learned a lot from her skin care research. It helped me narrow down what worked for me.

I'm currently using a combination of
1) DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (Theory being that Oil can remove oil - and my blackheads are diminishing)
2)Proactiv Cleanser (I've currently got the money for it) When poor, I buy a big bottle of Paula's Choice Skin Balancing cleanser - it lasts forever and I mix it with baking soda for exfoliation
3)Paula's Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Lotion
4)Proactiv Renewing Lotion (Benzoyl Peroxide) (When you join Proactiv, you can choose which products they send you and how often - I skip the toner and only get 2 cleansers and 1 "Renewing Lotion" benzoyl peroxide)
5)Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Moisturizing (Which also doubles as eye cream)

I followed the acne.org plan, and it helped, but the amount of benzoyl peroxide was too much for me. Using less benzoyl peroxide plus a chemical exfoliant (salicylic acid) was a better combination for me. The exfoliant allows the benzoyl peroxide further into the pore to kill bacteria.

Strangely, what worked best for me and acne is having a baby. (Although I don't recommend it as a cure!). My skin cleared beautifully with pregnancy - no more hormone-induced huge cysts on my chin and nose every 28 days! Sadly, when the monthy bill started coming in again, so did my acne (and I'm 35).

Wendy

 

[wibblebird]

Oh - and on the subject of diet and acne. Here's my theory - for a large portion of people who get acne, especially females, I think that acne is hormonally related - especially if you're one of those who gets big chin cysts around ovulation/period time.

Cutting out wheat or sugars helps control insulin production (a hormone). I know when I ate a low-carb diet, my PMS and skin improved greatly. I couldn't stick to the diet permanently, but I do try to eat more lean protein and veggies around my period instead of hitting the cake. (Try being the operative word).

That being said, my sister has horrible all-over acne, face and body, and it is definitely NOT hormonally related.

Wendy

 

[Paisley]

Headaches

And when I wanted to try alternative therapies for migraines, my doctor visibly scoffed at my request. She essentially told me if I wasn’t going to try a certain medication, I didn't need to come back because there was nothing else that could be done.

fftopic:

Years ago, I saw a doctor for my headaches and he sent me to get an MRI--to the tune of $700! (No insurance at the time.)

Over the past few years, though, I've had a lot fewer headaches since I learned how to treat my sinus problems at home and got the pinched nerves in my neck and back fixed with chiropractic care and later yoga.

Cost of home care for sinus problems with acupressure, saline solution and Sudafed: about 10 cents per treatment.

Cost of cracking my own back and neck with yoga I learned from a library book: free.

Being mostly free of headaches: priceless!

 

[Paisley]

Cutting out wheat or sugars helps control insulin production (a hormone). I know when I ate a low-carb diet, my PMS and skin improved greatly. I couldn't stick to the diet permanently, but I do try to eat more lean protein and veggies around my period instead of hitting the cake. (Try being the operative word).

Wendy

Coincidentally, I had been eating a lot of cauliflower during my last cycle. (It was on sale ). I noticed fewer zits. I just boiled it and put salad dressing on it (Annie's roasted red pepper). It was a painless way to eat cauliflower.

 

[~landgirl~]

We have the National Health Service over here, so my doctor doesn't have a money making agenda - so no excuses there.

here is to Ponds Cream and Mineral Oil!

 

[VargasGirl]

Today is day 3 or 4 of using the Ponds cold cream, and I can't believe the rusults so far!! Not only are my blackheads practically gone, but the ones I do have can be eaisly extracted without much effort. This equals less mangaling of my skin. I also have a cystic zit on my chin that was in the process of healing, but like all my cystic ones was dry and scabby on the surface, which always makes makeup a pain and gross looking. After one day using this stuff, it is smooth and smaller, so when I use concealer you really can't tell it's there. Unheard of! Overall my skintone is more even, I can only desbribe it as it looks like I have a soft-focus filter on my face now, even without makeup! When getting ready for dinner tonight I was able to focus on enhancing my features instead of covering up zits and rought patches. I have NEVER seen results this good with any other product before, and NEVER so fast. I have even been using on my chest because ( as gross as it sounds) I get blackheads and really dry patches there too, and it's clearing up! Wow! Thanks to all the ladies who posted about using cold cream, if it had been just one I might have ignored it, but when so many sing it's praises it's gotta be with a try. The ONLY complaint I have is the rose scent it has, I've just never been a flower-fragrence kinda gal, but with results this good, who cares? Has anyone tried the CVS brand? The ingredents are the same but when smelling it, it seemed to have a different scent. I am just wondering if it works as well. (Different concentrations or something.) This is only a few days into trying it, I can't wait to see how I look after longer use. *doing the happy dance* :eusa_clap lol

 

[~landgirl~]

That is so great to hear! I am so impressed with Cold Cream (the mineral oil version as the other didn't do much for me!) I just want to recommend anyone with acne should at least try it, you might just be pleasantly suprised!!

 

[Snookie]

VargasGirl -- that's fantastic! Got my fingers crossed that it keeps getting better.

I did one five-month course of Accutane 3 years ago, and I had great results. It was a giant pain, but I never thought my skin could be as good as it is now. (Of course, the worst breakout I've had in the last 3 years was the week before my wedding -- the STRESS, the STRESS!) I've got friends who had no results with the drug, though. I sure wish they could figure out a cure that works for everyone. I remember how terrible it was to have bad skin.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

That is so great to hear! I am so impressed with Cold Cream (the mineral oil version as the other didn't do much for me!) I just want to recommend anyone with acne should at least try it, you might just be pleasantly suprised!!

Did you not get on with the Boots version? I must admit I haven't used Ponds, either the UK or the US one, but I haven't found anything lacking in the boots one.

 

[~landgirl~]

Did you not get on with the Boots version? I must admit I haven't used Ponds, either the UK or the US one, but I haven't found anything lacking in the boots one.

The Boots one didn't improve my skin, but it didn't make it any worse. I found the Ponds cool classic on e-bay so thought i would give it a shot - you can't get it over here. And to my utter suprise it actually cleared my blackheads and shrunk my spots!

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

The Boots one didn't improve my skin, but it didn't make it any worse. I found the Ponds cool classic on e-bay so thought i would give it a shot - you can't get it over here. And to my utter suprise it actually cleared my blackheads and shrunk my spots!

I did go and have a look at the cool classic as compared to the one you can buy over here - the ingredients are identical, except the UK one has an additional natural extract and a couple of different types of mineral oil. I thought that might be something to do with different labelling regulations over here. Did you try the UK version too? I only ask as I might get some when my boots one runs out and want to get the right one!

 

[~landgirl~]

I did look at the Ponds in Boots, it was Cold Cream Cleanser and the ingredients were:

Paraffinum Liquidum, Aqua, Ozokerite, Ceba Alba, Sodium Borate, Ceresin, Behenic Acid, Montan Acid Wax, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteth 20, Parfum, Carbomer.

The Cool Classic, which I believe to have pretty much the original ingredients are:

MINERAL OIL, WATER, BEESWAX, CERESIN, SODIUM BORATE, FRAGRANCE, CARBOMER

Whereas the first ingredient in the Boots traditional is Paraffinum Liquidum, so would imagine it to be the same as the Ponds you get over here.

However, am I being particularly thick and Paraffinum Liquidum is infact another word for mineral oil? LOL